The book of Titus teaches that godly leadership starts with character long before it shows up in a title. When Paul told Titus to appoint elders on the island of Crete, he described men whose lives were already marked by faithfulness at home, self-control on the inside and a firm grip on God’s truth. Leadership in Titus challenges every follower of Jesus to lead their family, themselves and their neighbors well.
Lead Your Family Well
Paul left Titus in Crete with an unfinished job: put things in order and appoint elders in every town. Crete had a rough reputation, and the young churches there needed leaders who could be trusted. Interestingly, the first place Paul looked wasn’t a man’s speaking ability or his business success. It was his home. An elder needed to be faithful in his marriage and to lead his children in a way that pointed them toward faith (Titus 1:6).
That principle didn’t start with Paul. Long before, God told Israel that faith is passed down through ordinary, everyday life at home.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Leading your family well doesn’t mean being perfect. It means being present, talking about God naturally at the dinner table and in the car, and modeling repentance when you blow it. Parents are the first pastors their kids will ever have. Whether you’re a mom, a dad, a grandparent or a mentor, the people closest to you are your first ministry.
Single adults and couples without children aren’t left out either. Your roommates, your nieces and nephews, and the friends you do life with are all people you can influence for Jesus by how you live and what you talk about.
Lead Yourself Well
Who is the hardest person to lead? For most of us, it’s the person in the mirror. That’s why so much of Paul’s list focuses on what a leader is like on the inside, when no one is watching. Paul was describing the men who would serve as elders in the church, but the character behind his list is God’s goal for every believer.
Titus 1:7-8 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
Character counts. Notice how many of these qualities involve restraint: not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness. Others are positive habits, like hospitality, self-control and a love for what is good. None of them come from willpower alone. Jesus said that apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5), so leading yourself well begins with staying connected to him through prayer, Scripture and honest relationships with other believers.
Lead Your Neighbors Well
A leader’s influence isn’t meant to stay inside the house or the church building. Paul wanted elders who were hospitable, a word that literally means loving strangers. Godly leaders open their lives to people who don’t yet know Jesus, and they’re ready to help others grow in their faith.
Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Holding firmly to God’s Word gives a leader something solid to offer people. It lets you encourage someone who is struggling and lovingly correct ideas that pull people away from Jesus. This is what a full-circle life looks like: you follow Jesus yourself, and then you help others follow him too. You don’t need a title to do that. You just need to know the message well and genuinely care about the people around you.
The Takeaway
Leadership in Titus begins with character, not position. God wants you to lead your family well by passing on your faith, lead yourself well by staying connected to Jesus, and lead your neighbors well by holding firmly to his Word and helping others follow him.
